The 1980s rapper Pusha T believes had a better flow than Rakim: “Record for record”
Pusha T has many opinions, and he has never been afraid to share them. Akin to his former label boss, Kanye West, whenever Pusha does an interview, he’s bound to make headlines, and on more than one occasion, he has shared an opinion that unsettles the culture.
That said, in one interview, Pusha mentioned one of hip-hop’s legends, Rakim. The New York emcee is still revered as a lyricist and is known as a ground-breaking emcee who changed the course of hip-hop. The Follow The Leader creator brought complex rhymes and had an undeniable presence when he touched the microphone. Alongside Eric B, the Long Island changed how everybody rapped by providing a blueprint.
However, this didn’t stop the former Clipse member from giving a hot take about the lyricist and he has done it in more than one interview. Debates about the best lyricist of the 1980s have plagued hip-hop purists for decades. Many legendary lyricists emerged during this era. From LL Cool J to Eazy-E and more there was a lot of talent.
However, Rakim was a figure who changed the game, but during an appearance on The Combat Jack Show, the former G.O.O.D Music rapper discussed why he believes Big Daddy Kane is a better, more skilled emcee than Rakim.
Pusha T explained that after listening to a mix of Big Daddy Kane and Rakim’s records on Philadelphia’s radio station Power 99, he determined that the Juice Crew rapper has put out better songs and has a more impressive discography.
Pusha even added that Kane’s legacy influenced the title of his mixtape, Wrath of Caine. Opening up about the Brooklyn lyricist, Pusha detailed, “That [debate over Big Daddy Kane and Rakim was] what Wrath of Caine was about!”
He continued, “It was always the play off the street metaphors, but what happened was I was driving to New York, and I was coming through Philly, and by the time I got to Philly, I caught it so perfectly: a mid-day, mini-mix on Power 99 and they’re doing a [Big Daddy] Kane and Rakim battle. Now, mind you, this is an argument that happens with my crew [and] my brother…but I was like, when you lined it up just record for record, I thought [Kane] won.”
The It’s Almost Dry creator doubled down on this sentiment in an interview with ThisIs50.com and unveiled that Wrath Of Caine was a dedication to the Juice Crew legend, disclosing, “[The title, as] Always a play on the streetlife…I was recording and came to the conclusion that Big Daddy Kane was better than Rakim.” He insisted it was an ode to the artist and said the “Caine” spelling was because of his street persona, “to play on the streets, that’s what people attribute to me.”
The two MCs have never exchanged diss tracks. However, they have been compared several times over the years and in an early 2000s interview with MySpace, Kane unveiled why the two never clashed despite their feud, stating, “Me and Rakim were always clear that we were rivals! [But] Eric B. is a personal friend of mine and that’s probably the only reason why me and Ra never really battled.”
Still, even though he was in competition with Rakim during the 1980s, Big Daddy Kane humbly admitted that he actually likes Rakim, concluding, “Rakim is a great lyricist. To me, it was always beautiful to be compared to him.”